


Another day, another life (I wanna live it to the fullest)

by chaosmyths



Series: The shape of love is... [2]
Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Technically this is another teacher au but I think it's only mentioned once, unconventional family arrangements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 05:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21192383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosmyths/pseuds/chaosmyths
Summary: Eunsang is born the day before Wooseok turns 21. His sister jokes that she'd forced herself into labour early knowing that Wooseok would never be pleased to share a birthday with anyone.Wooseok jokingly agrees but later holding his nephew in his arms he thinks with the optimism of youth that he'd be happy to share anything with this tiny human.-Three birthday's that Eunsang and Wooseok share over the years - with each other and with Hangyul.





	Another day, another life (I wanna live it to the fullest)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this yesterday for Eunsang and Wooseok's birthdays and wasted an entire day on it instead of doing prac work so I can't put that to waste. Sequel to a parent/teacher au but you don't need to have read that to read this.
> 
> Yes I know Wooseok doesn't actually have a sister but Eunsang isn't a five year old child either so you're clearly not here for canon fic.
> 
> This is probably the shortest fic I've written in my life tbh (it was supposed to be a 5 + 1 but I ran out of time b/c prac is kicking my ass).

Eunsang's fifth birthday is a subdued one.

Eunsang is a quiet child at the best of times and this is the first birthday he's had since his parents moved overseas. The first birthday he's had to spend without his parents.

Wooseok's sister tried her best but she'd only been at her new job for two months and she couldn't get the leave to fly halfway across the world - not even for her son's fifth birthday.

Wooseok had tried his best to fill the void. They'd had a few of Eunsang's friends from school over. They were going to drive to visit Wooseok's parents tomorrow. Eunsang hadn't had his parents but he'd had a reminder that people loved him. And to his credit, he'd had a good day.

Eunsang doesn't react to change well - it's the whole reason his parents had made the difficult decision to leave him with Wooseok rather than moving him with them to England where everything from the people to the language to the food was unfamiliar.

Eunsang doesn't react to change well and to not have the birthday ritual his parents had prepared for him in previous years was hard. But Eunsang had put on a brave face. He'd giggled with his friends from school and chatted happily to his parents when they'd made a video call early in the morning showing off the gifts that he'd received with an exuberance that was usually reserved for.

And yet when he'd had to hang up the phone with his parents he cried. At the end of the day when his friends had left, when there was no parents or grandparents left to chat to over the internet, he'd crawled into Wooseok's lap without a word.

"Did you have a nice day kiddo?" Wooseok asked, laying a hand on the back of his head gently like he knows Eunsang likes.

"Yeah," Eusnang says sounding hardly convincing, "It was nice..."

There's a but there left hanging unsaid.

"That's good," Wooseok says not pressing him on it. He loves Eunsang, adores him like no one else; he obviously wouldn't have taken him in if he didn't. Yet he's still getting used to this whole legal guardian thing - having to act as a parental figure rather than just an uncle.

It's made things a little hesitant between them as they figure each other out all over again and adapt to the new roles. Not awkward, not less loving, just a little unsettled.

Wooseok still doesn't know where to push and where to give Eunsang space so more often than not he errs on the side of caution.

"I might be a little bit sad," Eunsang eventually admits.

"That's okay, you're allowed to be sad," Wooseok tells him. It'd be hypocritical of him to say anything to the contrary.

"Even on my birthday?" Eunsang asks with a pout.

"Even on your birthday," Wooseok confirms with a reassuring nod - something he wishes he'd realised earlier in his life "You're always allowed to be sad Eunsang. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I got lots of nice presents."

"You did," Wooseok agrees. His sister had potentially over compensated this year. Wooseok can't say anything though - he knows he definitely did.

"I had a cake. With my friends," Eunsang continues.

"You did," Wooseok confirms again. The kids had been nice if not all more exuberant than Eunsang - Wooseok isn't really one to question it.

"I miss my mummy and daddy," Eunsang admits in a small whisper, words almost lost to Wooseok's chest.

"I know you do Eunsang and that's okay," Wooseok tells him. Uprooting Eunsang was never the right choice - it doesn't mean leaving him with Wooseok was ever going to be easy. Not for anyone involved.

"Can I just have a cuddle?"

"You can always have a cuddle Eunsang, you don't have to ask," Wooseok tells him.

So they sit on the couch and cuddle until Eunsang falls asleep.

Then Wooseok gets up and tucks Eunsang into bed, kisses his forehead and gets out his laptop. It doesn't matter that it's his own birthday tomorrow - he's got work to get done.

He doesn't regret taking Eunsang in for a second but he's still trying to figure out how to balance looking after Eunsang with his work schedule. It's resulted in a lot of weekend work and late nights. He can't remember the last time he had a sleep of more than five hours.

But it's okay he tells himself as he crawls into bed at almost 3 in the morning. It's his birthday - that means he's allowed to sleep as long as he wants. Just this once (or at least until he has to get up and feed Eunsang)

🎂 

"Uncle Wooseok," Eunsang climbs into his bed too early in the morning on his 26th birthday, "I'm sorry."

"Eunsang?" Wooseok asks blearily. He's sure that he's barely slept a few hours and a quick glance at the clock on his nightstand proves he is in fact correct.

It's only 6:30 and whilst it's not uncommon for Eunsang to be up that early he's usually content to amuse himself until Wooseok drags himself out of bed around 8 am. Even if Wooseok doesn't manage to do that Eunsang doesn't come looking for him until 9 when he gets too hungry to wait.

He really has lucked out with the easiest, most considerate child to look after.

"I'm sorry," Eunsang repeats again sounding close to tears this time.

Wooseok sits up in concern all lingering traces of sleep gone from his system in an instant - apparently, the sort of instinct that having a small child in the house instils in you.

"Why are you sorry Eunsang?" Wooseok asks wondering what on earth he could have done. The apartment has been child proofed to the best of Wooseok's ability but he never realised just how resourceful four-year-olds were before the last few weeks.

"I just wanted to do something nice for your birthday," Eunsang says, refusing to look at Wooseok, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sure it was an accident," Wooseok soothes blindly wanting to reach out to the boy but not sure if that's what Eunsang needs.

"How do you know?" Eunsang asks with a pout

"Because I know you," Wooseok tells him - he's not lying either, he can't imagine Eunsang would ever set out to break something on purpose (which is what he assumes happened) especially not when their whole living situation is so new for him.

"What happened Eunsang?" Wooseok asks again, firmer this time.

"I made an accident," Eunsang whispers.

Wooseok sighs opening his arms. That's all it takes for Eunsang to fling himself into Wooseok's lap, wrapping his around his neck tighter than any newly five-year-old child should have the strength for. Wooseok lets Eunsang hide his face, and his tears, in his neck for a few moments gently rubbing his back before he decides enough is enough.

"Do you want to show me not tell me?"

He feels Eunsang nod against his neck so in a very uncoordinated manner he manages to get out of bed whilst still holding Eunsang - quite a feat of agility if he does say so himself.

"Okay, where are we going Mr?" Wooseok asks as theatrically as he can manage on four hours of sleep.

"The laundry," Eunsang whispers referring to the tiny little tiled hallway where Wooseok keeps nothing but his washing machine.

Well shit.

"What were you doing in the laundry Eunsang?" Wooseok asks as he heads towards the washing machine - hesitant as to what he's going to find.

"Trying to do the laundry," Eunsang admits as they arrive at the scene of destruction.

There is a soapy sheen of water everywhere, flooding the small space of the hallway and encroaching on the rest of the apartment. The door of the washing machine hangs open, a pile of fluffy bubbles slowly dripping down the machine to join the mess on the floor.

Wooseok is horrified.

"I'm sorry I did it wrong," Eunsang sobs, working himself back up into hysterics at the look on Wooseok's face, "I just wanted to help."

Wooseok wants to laugh. Trust his five-year-old to be the only five-year-old on the planet that _wants_ to do laundry. On his own. At 6 on a Sunday morning.

Wooseok wants to cry because he needs to clean up this mess _now_ before it starts to leak into the rest of the house which is not tiled against water and causes an even bigger mess. Except Eunsang won't stop crying or let go of his neck and it's awfully hard to clean anything with a small child clinging to you.

"Eunsang why were you trying to do the washing?" Wooseok asks as he makes his way to the cupboard he keeps the towels in - he'll probably need his entire supply.

"You don't like to do the washing," Eunsang says like it's that simple.

"Well no," Wooseok admits. Washing has never been his favourite chore though thankfully he only ever had to do it once every week or so. Until Eunsang started living with him at least - it's astounding how many clothes small children go through in a week he's discovered, "But sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do."

It's as good of a teachable moment as any Wooseok supposes.

"But it's your _birthday_," Eunsang insists, too stubborn to keep crying it seems, "You shouldn't have to do things you don't want to do on your birthday."

"Thank you Eunsang," Wooseok says. He can't help but melt at the sentiment - that Eunsang had apparently wanted to do the washing for him as a birthday present.

"But I messed it up so I ruined your birthday," Eunsang pouts.

"It's okay, making mistakes is how we learn," Wooseok hastens to tell him before he starts crying again, "So how about we clean up the bubbles and then I show you how to use the machine."

"But it's your birthday," Eunsang insists. For a kid that wasn't so concerned about his own birthday yesterday, he sure is insistent about celebrating Wooseok's properly.

"Exactly," Wooseok says stepping carefully through the water towards the linen cupboard, "So I get to decide what we do and what we're going to do is clean up the bubbles and learn to use the washing machine."

"Okay," Eunsang says quietly as Wooseok sets him down on the floor so he can pull out an armful of towels "I can do that."

"I know you can," Wooseok tells him as he hands him one of the towels and watches him trot off to the laundry to begin soaking up the mess.

So Wooseok spends his birthday teaching a newly five-year-old how to use a washing machine and then proceeding to supervise said child do all the washing in the house so delighted he is with his new skill.

At a more reasonable hour, he calls his parents. He knows shouldn't make the drive to his parents house on such little sleep especially with Eunsang in the car. Thankfully his mother is more than happy to come and visit them in Wooseok's apartment.

As Wooseok sits with his mother in the kitchen watching as his dad dumps a basket of clean laundry on a giggling Eunsang before showing him how to fold the clothes he thinks about how he never would have thought that this was where he'd be on his last birthday. Never thought he could enjoy a birthday so much.

He can’t say he minds.

* * *

On Eunsang's fourth birthday Wooseok feels like absolute shit. Yet he drags himself out of bed, tucks the present he'd bought for the boy under his arm and pastes a smile so bright on that no one but his sister notices it's not quite real.

The next day is Wooseok's 25th birthday. He doesn't get out of bed all day.

Birthday's bring out the worst in him - he'd rather not acknowledge them.

* * *

By Eunsang's sixth birthday he's much more settled and therefore much more exuberant - as a child should be on their birthday.

Rather than just three children, Eusnang has what feels like half his class over. He's glad Eunsang seems to be making more friends the apartment was not built for a dozen small children running around in it even for a day. Wooseok was not made for supervising a dozen small children alone either.

His grandparents had made it for Eunsang's birthday this year and whilst his parents hadn't been able to get time off to get home they'd promised to be back next year (though they'd be back anyway with the two-year contract over). Eunsang hadn't seemed to notice their absence at the time and his two-hour phone conversation in the evening is nothing but cheerful - not even as he gets ready to say goodbye.

"Thanks for your help today," Wooseok sighs, laying his head on Hangyul's shoulder as they watch Eunsang finally wrap up his conversation with his mother. It's probably crossing lines or something - Hangyul helping out with this party when some of these kids are almost certainly going to be in his class next year - but Hangyul hadn't complained so Wooseok had taken full advantage of the extra set of eyes and hands.

"You're welcome," Hangyul says doing something ridiculous with his eyebrows, "You can thank me appropriately later."

"Obviously you will be appropriately compensated," Wooseok says dryly, "Your formal thank you letter is already in the mail."

Hangyul's looks so genuinely disgruntled that Wooseok can't help but laugh loudly at his ridiculous boyfriend and his ridiculous face.

"Whose making your uncle laugh like that huh?"

"Oh that's just Hangyul," Eunsang says matter-of-factly. It makes Wooseok feel satisfied, a sort of warmth somewhere deep in his chest, that Eunsang is so used to having Hangyul around that it doesn't even rate as something interesting enough to tell his mother.

Then again Eunsang has always liked Hangyul - Wooseok has heard stories about the kindness of Eunsang's favourite teacher long before he met him. When he ended up looking at Wooseok like _that_ on top of everything Wooseok never really stood a chance.

"Your teacher?" Wooseok's sister asks, scepticism evident in her voice.

"No, Mr. Seungwoo is my teacher. Hangyul is _a_ teacher but he's also in love with Uncle Wooseok, it's kind of gross," Eunsang explains.

"You mean you haven't told your sister about me?" Hangyul asks quietly, sounding mostly amused. Wooseok isn't sure if he's actually upset about it or not though because Hangyul likes to be self-deprecating to hide insecurity.

"I have, I've just not given her a name," Wooseok whispers back. His sister might be busy with work but nothing would get in the way of her SNS stalking if she had more details than the vague stories Wooseok has shared, "It's for your own protection."

"My hero," Hangyul mutters sarcastically, lacing their fingers together before pulling Wooseok's hand to his mouth to drop a gentle kiss.

Wooseok isn't sure whether to blush or hit him so he does both.

"Let me speak to uncle Wooseok okay baby," Wooseok's sister tells Eunsang gently.

"Okay," Eunsang chirps happily skipping over to plop himself in between Hangyul and Wooseok and trying to hold the phone far enough in front of him to get them all in the shot. Unfortunately, his arms are too short and all that shows on the phone is his own face and Hangyul’s sleeve.

“I can’t do it right - you do it,” Eunsang tells Hangyul trying to hand the phone off to him. The panicked look on his face is almost worth the chaos his sister is about to bring Wooseok decides as he saves Hangyul and takes the phone himself.

"Can I help you?" Wooseok asks, eyebrow raised.

"Don't give me that Kim Wooseok," his sister scolds, slightly intimidating even from thousands of miles away, "Let your sister wish you a happy birthday and be gracious."

"It's not my birthday," Wooseok insists, chancing a look at Hangyul out of the corner of his eye. Unsurprisingly Hangyul is looking straight back at him.

"Oh hush your birthday is tomorrow - what difference does five hours make Wooseok?" she scoffs with a roll of her eyes.

"I mean, it's a different day," Wooseok argues just for the sake of it pointedly not looking at Hangyul. The other man is making no such subtleties not bothering to hide the way his eyes are burning into the side of Wooseok's head.

Meanwhile Eunsang looks at Hangyul in concern before he looks back at Wooseok with wide eyes, conspicuous in the way only six-year-olds can be.

Well, there goes any hope of Wooseok pretending it just slipped his mind.

"I'm much too busy to call you tomorrow so take it or leave it, " she tells him matter-of-factly, "And if you're going to leave it then you must give me the story of how you hooked up with Eunsang's favourite teacher instead."

"Hey," Wooseok protests, ignoring the way his cheeks light up with a blush, "He's in the room."

"Oops," His sister says so blithely it can't be anything but on purpose "So, your birthday then?"

"No," Wooseok groans, getting up and moving through to his bedroom so that he can feed her insatiable need for gossip. It takes a good twenty minutes to fill her in on the full story with Hangyul and then catch her up to date on Eunsang's progress (like they don't call each other every weekend to discuss it along with the daily messages and photos on SNS).

"Uncle Wooseok told me not to tell. And I know you said secrets were bad but it's not a secret it's a surprise and those are okay right?" Eunsang is telling Hangyul when Wooseok makes his return, parroting back the excuses Wooseok had fed Eunsang to keep him from mentioning his birthday to Hangyul.

"Eunsang come and say goodbye to your mum," Woosoek calls out, holding the phone to Eunsang to prevent Hangyul from answering that; he doesn’t know he wants to hear whatever his response would have been.

Eunsang forgets the conversation entirely bounding over to Wooseok to do as he's told and blow noisy kisses at his mum through the phone.

"Well, I see that some things run in the family," Hangyul comments as Eunsang is distracted.

"What good looks? Charm?" Wooseok asks teasingly hoping that Hangyul doesn't mention the birthday thing but knowing he probably will.

"The stubborn nature, a propensity to gossip, that specific eye roll," Hangyul checks off on his fingers.

"I'll tell her you said that."

"Be my guest," Hangyul shrugs with bravado he can't possibly feel.

He lets it drop after that not mentioning Wooseok's birthday once. Not through their small dinner (everyone still too full from party food to eat much), not during storytime, not even as they get ready for bed once Eunsang is tucked safely into his own bed.

"You're not going to ask me why I didn't tell you?" Wooseok asks as he sits on the bathroom counter watching Hangyul wash his face.

"To not take the shine off Eunsang's day right?" Hangyul asks with a shrug as if it was perfectly obvious to him.

"Right," Wooseok lies.

"Which succeeded, but don't think you're getting away with this next year," Hangyul tells him with a playful wag of his finger, splashing water on Wooseok in the progress.

Wooseok doesn't comment on Hangyul's certainty in them as reassuring as it is. Instead, he just smiles playfully before dragging Hangyul in by the collar for a kiss - an easy way to distract him from both the conversation at hand and the fact he's about to stick a wet hand down the back of his sleep shirt.

(The topic of his birthday is unfortunately not as forgotten as Wooseok would have liked - Hangyul lets him sleep in until after 10 and when they do wake him up it's to breakfast in bed they've prepared together. There are some simple gifts - they've clearly run to the shops and just pulled things off the shelf - and a handmade card that Wooseok will later take and frame on his desk at work.

But maybe if this is what birthday's look like with his two favourite boys they're not so bad after all).

* * *

Eunsang is born a day before Wooseok turns 21. His sister jokes that she'd forced herself into labour early knowing that Wooseok would never be pleased to share a birthday with _anyone. _(Wooseok jokingly agrees but holding his nephew in his arms he thinks with the optimism of youth that he'd be happy to share anything with this tiny human).

On Wooseok's 21st birthday he goes out to drink with some friends - nothing out of the ordinary.

In hindsight Wooseok's 20th birthday was the last birthday he enjoys for years to come.

* * *

Eunsang's seventh birthday starts a little differently to his others - though Wooseok gets the feeling that it's a tradition that's going to stick around.

Like so many changes in their lives over the last 18 months, it's all down to Hangyul.

"In my house, we always used to have cake first thing in the morning on birthdays. Before school or my parents going to work or even breakfast," he had explained shyly just before his own birthday, "If you don't mind do you think we could...?"

And there are a million reasons to say no but if the trained teacher is okay with it - wants it - than Wooseok can't bring himself to complain. Except he has one condition.

"Only on Eunsang's birthday," he'd insisted, "Because cake for breakfast two days in a row is a bit much."

"_Before_ breakfast not _for_ breakfast," Hangyul had corrected mildly but eventually agreed to.

So they wake Eunsang up with a cake to his delight. Wooseok isn't a bit surprised that he insists he's not hungry enough for breakfast afterwards - though Wooseok does insist he eats some fruit before school at the very least.

"Have a good day at school," Wooseok hugs Eunsang tighter than usual "Have a great few weeks with your parents."

Wooseok's sister had arranged with the school to take Eunsang on holiday with them in the middle of the school term for a few weeks - figuring this was the last year he could afford to miss that much school around his birthday. Eunsang had been thrilled at the idea and Wooseok had to try not to be thrilled Eunsang had first insisted on spending the start of his birthday with Wooseok (and Hangyul).

"I'll miss you," Eunsang says, squeezing Wooseok tightly around the neck before he's letting go and latching onto Hangyul's hand. Wooseok isn't looking forward to getting to the stage where he's too embarrassed to show affection but thankfully it's not showing signs of appearing anytime soon.

"Say it like you mean it," Wooseok jokes watching as Hangyul lets go of Eunsang’s hand with the instruction to put his school bag on his back.

"I do mean it!" Eunsang insists cheerfully.

"I'm sure he'll miss you," Hangyul reassures Wooseok with a knowing look. Wooseok doesn't doubt Eunsang will start to miss him eventually - he hopes.

"I might miss you too," Wooseok says playfully refusing to dwell on any of this, "Maybe. Maybe I'll appreciate the quiet."

A few years ago Eunsang would have taken that to heart. Now he just smiles a toothy smile at Wooseok and insists, "You’re joking with me. You will miss me I know you will."

"That I will kiddo," Wooseok says leaning down to kiss Eunsang's forehead as he beams in delight, "Don't have too much fun without me."

"It's only fun because it's without you," Eunsang tells him solemnly. Hangyul tries his best not to laugh in the background but Woosoek will get him back for that later.

"No kiss for me?" Hangyul asks, playfully puckering his lips in a transparent attempt to deflect Wooseok's attention.

"Kisses only for birthday boys," Eunsang tells him, sticking his tongue out cheekily.

"You heard the birthday boy," Wooseok says, though he does duck forward to kiss Hangyul on the cheek whilst Eunsang is busy checking that he has everything. His mum picked up everything he'll need for his trip a few days ago and Hangyul will bring his school bag home this evening but he still insists on checking.

"We have to go now," Eunsang tells them when he's satisfied he has everything.

"Yes birthday boy," Hangyul salutes him.

Eunsang giggles and grabs Hangyul's hand - making to drag him towards the front door. It's a flurry of noise and activity as they get their shoes on, Hangyul blows Wooseok a kiss, and then the door slams shut behind them leaving a heavy silence in their wake.

Wooseok watches the closed door for a few minutes before he shakes himself out of his funk and decides to clean the house; the worst thing about days off work he knows is that it gives him time for an idle mind.

Not really something he wants right now.

🎂 

"It's weird, not having Eunsang around," Hangyul comments that night. They've eaten dinner on the couch - because Eunsang isn't around to set a bad example for - and their dishes litter the table as something Wooseok couldn’t name plays on the television in the background.

Wooseok isn't really paying attention anyway - instead he's picking the label off the bottle in his hands, thoughts a thousand miles away.

"He's spent time with his parents before, or at sleepovers," Wooseok points out once he's swallowed his mouthful of booze

"Maybe it's because it's his birthday," Hangyul shrugs even though he's only spent one birthday with Eunsang before.

"It's probably because you know he'll be gone for a few weeks," Wooseok disagrees trying to seem unaffected. Honestly, it's going to be a weird few weeks without a child in the house but his sister's contract is only for another year which means barring another extension - she'll be back next year.

Wooseok had better get used to not having Eunsang around.

"No, stop that," Hangyul scolds him breaking him out of his slightly melancholy thoughts.

"Stop...eating?" Wooseok asks slowly, confused by what he means.

"No, you definitely need to eat more," Hangyul says pointedly without making a point of it before he adds, "Stop thinking depressing thoughts."

"I'm not!" Wooseok insists even though he kind of was. Maybe not depressing though just slightly - sad

"And you should definitely stop lying to me,"

"Fuck off," Wooseok says mildly. He's not planning on talking about this ever - and definitely not now. Hangyul probably knows anyway (he usually does) so there's no point in forcing himself to put it into words.

"No thanks," Hangyul replies cheerfully, "I've invested an awful lot of time into you I'd rather stick around."

"You're an idiot," Wooseok grumbles, looking down into his food rather than into Hangyul's face.

"Thank you," Hangyul tells him with an easy shrug before he reaches forward and drags Wooseok towards him. Wooseok figures that he's trying to pull him into his lap but Wooseok puts up resistance for no other reason than he _can_ and he feels like it so instead he ends up half sprawled on Hangyul's legs.

"Well this has to be more uncomfortable for you than me," Hangyul tells him cheerfully.

"No I'm perfectly comfortable," Wooseok insists, twisting his body so he can lay his head on Hangyul's chest and prove his point. Hangyul's right, of course, he's ridiculously uncomfortable right now but he did this to himself so he'll stick by it.

"Okay," Hangyul shrugs going back to watching whatever drama is on television.

Wooseok lasts all of ten minutes before his neck starts to cramp uncomfortably and he has to move.

"I thought you were comfortable," Hangyul teases as Wooseok leverages himself into a sitting position planting himself firmly in Hangyul's lap.

"I was," Wooseok insists despite them both knowing he very much was not, "But I was thinking..."

"Stop doing that," Hangyul says dropping a kiss onto Wooseok's cheek, "I've found," he kisses the other cheek, "Life is much easier when you don't think," a forehead kiss this time.

Wooseok snorts, "That explains so much about you."

"Hey!" Hangyul protests, pinching Wooseok in the side in a way that has him flinching away in annoyance more than pain.

"As I was _saying_," Woosoek ignores Hangyul’s words as he drapes his arms around his neck, "I was just thinking have the apartment to ourselves,"

"We do," Hangyul nods wrapping a strong arm around Wooseok's waist.

"So it'd be remiss not to take advantage of it," Wooseok whispers leaning down to capture Hangyu

"You're right," Hangyul says when the break apart, resting their foreheads together "It'd be stupid of us not to take advantage."

"Stupid," Wooseok pecks Hangyul on the lips one more time before Hangyul starts to reach behind him. Wooseok scrambles off his lap knowing exactly what's coming - Hangyul grabs the cushion behind him and tries to smack Wooseok in the face with it though he manages to duck out of the way in time.

"Pillow fight!"

They race through the apartment for a good twenty minutes, lobbing soft projectiles (not even Eunsang's left behind stuffed toys are safe) at each other and creating a general mess of the interior, until eventually, Wooseok manages to pin Hangyul to the bed, both of them breathing hard.

"Do you concede?" Wooseok asks, pressing absent kisses to the underside of Hangyul's jaw the way he knows he likes.

"Mm," Hangyul says thoughtfully, making no real move to try and buck Wooseok off even though he could, "Only because it's almost your birthday."

"Good boy," Wooseok praises huskily, leaning down to brush a teasing kiss against Hangyul's lips. When Hangyul starts to respond he leans back, dropping a kiss on Hangyul's forehead this time despite his petulant whine and heads for the bedroom door

"I call the first shower."

"Seriously?" Hangyul complains, looking both put out and amused. Wooseok tries not to smile.

"Or," he says looking at where Hangyul is leaning against his elbows in a half-reclining position, "I guess since we're alone we could share."

🎂 

Wooseok's 28th birthday goes like this.

He wakes up to his five o'clock alarm - work stops for no man - to find Hangyul sitting on the edge of the bed with a plate in his hands.

"What on earth is that?" Wooseok asks blearily, wanting Hangyul to be cuddling with him in bed rather than eating in bed and making a mess.

"A cake," Hangyul tells him cheerfully.

"Doesn't look like a cake," Wooseok squints suspiciously. His glasses would help right now but he's too lazy to break his blanket cocoon and reach for them.

"Well it's kind of a cake," Hangyul concedes putting the plate on the bedside table close enough that Woosoek can see it. He kind of wishes he couldn't.

"A cake? It's a fucking tower of chicken feet!" Wooseok scoffs. Hangyul has officially gone mad - the kids have pushed him over the edge.

"You said no morning cake - so it's a chicken feet morning cake," Hangyul looks proud of himself, though Wooseok cannot fathom why.

"You want me to eat chicken feet at five in the morning?" Wooseok asks sceptically.

"Actually it's 4:30 in the morning," Hangyul tells him still more cheerful than he has any right to be - especially considering Hangyul isn't much of a morning person himself, "And please when has time ever stopped you eating what you want?"

He's not wrong they often have breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast in this house - whatever Eunsang and Wooseok feel like in the moment. Sure he provides Eunsang with the structure he needs but he's still fun uncle not his dad.

"Why the fuck am I awake at 4:30 in the morning," Wooseok complains, pulling the blanket over his head to block Hangyul and his stupidity out.

"To eat chicken feet,"

"Hangyul sincerely fuck off," Wooseok groans rolling over onto his stomach and away from Hangyul.

"I'd rather fuck you," Wooseok can hear the laughter in Hangyul's voice. It doesn't make him want to slap Hangyul for sounding like a bad porno any less.

"You will never fuck me again if you don't shut the fuck up and let me sleep,"

"No Wooseok," Hangyul whines. The bed moves as he shifts his weight until he lays himself over Wooseok's back - resting some of his weight on his arms so as not to crush him. Wooseok will give him that at least, "It's your birthday."

"So let me _sleep_," Wooseok complains.

"Wooseok," Hangyul coos, pulling the blanket down so he can kiss the back of his head, "Wooseok if you really want to sleep I'll let you..."

Wooseok cranes his head back so he can peer at Hangyul curiously despite himself, "But?"

"But I just thought," Hangyul shrugs running a firm hand over Wooseok's bare shoulder, "You'd want to take your morning slowly. Relax." He follows the path of his hand with a trail of feather-light kisses.

"I suppose," Wooseok says slowly not bothering to hide his body's reaction - Hangyul knows him too well, "I suppose I could be convinced to relax." He can feel the way Hangyul smirks against his shoulder blade, "What did you have in mind?"

Wooseok's 28th birthday goes like this. His boyfriend wakes him up earlier than he needs to with a heartfelt but dumbass gesture, makes it up to him by fucking him against the bathroom counter and then takes him to see the sunrise on the way to work.

Yohan is the only colleague to acknowledge his birthday with a simple card - just the way he likes it - and Hangyul picks him up after work to take him out on a date.

They go out for dinner and spend the night in. Wooseok is just about ready to turn in for the night at 9 pm - early mornings are not his friend - when there's a knock on the door and Hangyul sends him to get it - insisting he has much too important work to do it himself.

Eunsang stands on the door to Wooseok's surprise, his sister standing behind him with a fond smile.

"I thought you left yesterday?" Wooseok asks in shock as Hangyul comes into the hallway behind him with a knowing smile. Bastard.

"Someone insisted we had to wait till tomorrow," Wooseok's sister runs a hand over her sons head before pushing him forward.

"I can't miss your birthday!" Eunsang tells him as he flings himself into Wooseok's arms, "We're birthday buddies we have to spend them together always. You have to promise."

Wooseok doesn't cry easily, he isn't going to cry, and yet he has to choke back tears as he whispers, "I promise."

* * *

The years keep going - faster than Woosoek would like - and with them come birthdays. Life changes. Eunsang will go back to live with his parents after five long years living with Wooseok and Hangyul will move in officially. Jobs will change, the apartment will change and eventually, their own family will grow. Wooseok will probably never enjoy his birthday the way most people do - there's too much there.

But he has people in his life that love him and will do little things to make sure his birthday is celebrated in a way he's comfortable with.

And Wooseok keeps his promise. No matter what the years will throw at him - time or distance or continents be damned he will spend his birthday with Eunsang.

That's the best gift of all.

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I'm only using One OK Rock lyrics from here on out for X1 Fic (Or I actually used Arashi once so Japanese song lyrics I guess)
> 
> Catch me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/nichesindrome) or [CC](https://curiouscat.me/chaosmyths) if you want :)


End file.
